Suppression
by tkelparis
Summary: Written for 2005 Amorous Intent fic-a-thon. The challenge was to deal with what Goren and Eames talked about after they discussed the letters from season one's "Seizure."


Title: Suppression

Rating: T

Genre: Missing scene, G&E friendship with suggestive overtones...

Author: Kendra

Spoilers: "Seizure." Slight "Phantom" reference.

Summary: Based on the following AI Fic-a-thon plot bunny: "During Seizure in the first season Alex says to Bobby, "I need a cigarette and 8 hours of sleep." In return he reads a excerpt from a letter to Reddick. Any thoughts running through their heads, or what happened later." They talk while Alex drives him home.

Author's note: I'm not sure what the person who submitted the bunny had in mind, but I'm positive this wasn't quite it. However, this was fun to write once I got a good idea of what I wanted to happen. grins wickedly Have fun reading!

While she drives them away from One Police Plaza, Bobby and Alex observe total silence for the majority of the ride. Those letters and photos they found in Kevin Reddick's cell are fresh in their minds. The question of the girl's identity may be key to finding out who killed Rosa Dern, and finally putting a stop to Reddick and his games.

Bobby's no stranger to seeing women and girls write letters to suspected criminals. He read about Ted Bundy managing to marry and have a child while in prison. It never ceases to amaze him which guys women and girls will desire. Or... "How can any woman even think of doing what that girl did in those photos," he grumbles, frustrated. "How was Reddick able to talk her into doing it?"

"Isn't one of the things we've learned on this job is that some people will do anything for love and money," Alex responds. "Or even lust? And that there's the type that gets off on being told what to do? This girl is probably that type."

"A masochist." Bobby stares out the passenger window, trying to focus on the materials on the fronts of the buildings that they pass as a distraction. "Reddick definitely matches the type to take control. He must really enjoy playing games."

"Well, I'll bet we'll find her at that bail hearing. It's a matter of picking her out of the crowd. Carver mentioned there's always at least several female spectators at the hearings on Reddick's case." Alex is throughly disgusted. Seeing those photos in Reddick's possession gave her the creeps, and made her shiver on behalf of the unknown girl. "A creep like Reddick... These girls must be desperate for a guy."

The small grunt confirms Bobby's agreement with her. However, within a few seconds, Alex feels that he's being unnaturally silent. "Something else on your mind?" She glances over and finds him shifting slightly in his seat, as though he doesn't want to admit to his thoughts. "Bobby, whatever it is, you can tell me," she gently urges.

Bobby's not so sure about that, but he's never been able to refuse his partner anything when she uses that tone. He hopes she never realizes it... "I... I can't believe that-that she – whoever she is – did that."

"For someone like Reddick?" That's no surprise, she thinks.

Bobby shakes his head, the words coming out slowly. "No, that she did it, period."

Alex blinks, processing that to uncover the hidden layers of meaning. It doesn't take long to realize why he now seems uncomfortable thinking about those pictures. "You can't imagine that any woman in her right mind would do anything like what that girl did, even if the guy is 'normal.'"

"No." The certain tone, the one that's absolutely confident about whatever answer he's reached, echoes silently.

Alex glances over, curious. Even though she might regret asking... "Not even they both love and respect each other?"

Bobby's eyes turn incredulous. "Eames, no man-"

She raises the hand near him, signaling him to listen for a moment. "In the right relationship, there'd be nothing wrong with those photos, even if the rest of us think it's weird – and potentially risky – to have them taken."

"You don't see anything wrong with that?!" The yelp in his voice would make her laugh under any other circumstance; startling Bobby Goren is hard to do, and she's just done it. Not the first time, but any such occasion is one to be treasured.

However, he's so embarrassed that he deserves an explanation. Alex's face starts blushing, but she manages a smirk. "Not when my husband and I did things that others might consider kinky." His eyes nearly pop out, and she hurriedly adds, "We knew each other's boundaries, we both knew that we'd still love and respect each other afterward, and we never did anything that the other wasn't willing to do."

What... **This** is my partner? "Um... Eames, are you serious...?"

Alex simply glances over and nods. She finds his disbelief amusing, but holds back the growing urge to burst out laughing to not hurt his feelings for a second. "The very idea shocks you?"

Well... how do I explain something I can't explain, Bobby asks himself. "Well, I – uh – I just see you as so... straight-laced. I can't imagine you..."

Alex takes her time responding to that. Only one thought comes through, and she waits till she pulls up to his building and parks to say it. "Are you saying that you've never – even for a moment, possibly because you have me on some pedestal in your mind – thought about me as someone who **might** have a sex drive?"

Bobby coughs and his cheeks suddenly flare. He can't get his voice to work. Um... more like, he thinks, I can't think about you and... well, **anything** sexual... in the same sentence and sleep well... No way in hell is he actually going to **say** that...

Now Alex can't stop a snort. "I thought so. Of course you wouldn't think that as far as me and other guys go; you get irritated when suspects and witnesses flirt with me." She pauses, and looks directly at his face. "I've always wondered why you react like that." Her voice turns quiet, reflective.

Bobby looks anywhere except at Alex, especially her eyes. It's bad enough that he can't make the heat leave his cheeks, but he's not sure how he'll react if he looks at her. "They're... they're disrespectful of you when they do that." It's a lame excuse, and they both know it, and he knows that she knows that they both recognize that fact. To distract himself, he gathers the loose items he'd looked at during the drive back into his binder.

Alex watches him for a few seconds, debating with her inner angel and devil over what to say. She's thought of something that could give him a stroke and the devil is goading her into saying it, but the angel holds her back. Until that angel admits that **maybe** it might help him relax from the case, which is putting a lot of pressure on both of them. "I see. So it wouldn't be because you think they're encroaching on your territory?"

His throat emits a strangled noise, and his eyes nearly pop out as they whip to face her. "W-What," he sputters in shock, more red creeping into his face when a little twist somewhere inside him lets him know that she's not far from the mark... Because some of the things she's said over the months made him nearly get brain-lash from speed that the resulting mental images flashed into his mind.

Like her comment from earlier: "I need a cigarette and eight hours sleep." Combined with those photos, his mind was armed to drift into imagining himself as the cause of her "need." Although, as he'd also thought while they were reading the letters, he's found that cigarettes aren't exactly conducive to a romantic afterglow... and he still occasionally sparks one up...

Oh, my God, Alex mentally starts. He does think it on some level... "Part of you sees me as yours," she murmurs, astonished, "and doesn't like it when **any** man even looks at me with the slightest sign of interest. I've noticed that you don't like it when Carver **happens** to walk close by me."

When he flinches at that comment, Alex hits upon a huge revelation. She has power over him, if she wants to use it. Not that she'd try to control him or truly hurt him, but maybe influence him into a little more... sensible behavior at times... That sounds like a good idea to her, and Alex decides to push it a little further. She smiles mischievously. "Jealous, Bobby? Guarding what you have in the hope of getting more? Have you been wanting to get me to yourself in a room with a lockable door, so you could..." she leans forward slightly as she whispers, "...have your way with me?"

Bobby's breath slams against his throat, trapped. Now he can't look away. This can't be my partner... What's gotten into her? It takes him half a second to realize that his mental question wasn't the best way to phrase his confusion. It only produces mental pictures that he doesn't feel... right thinking of – never mind that the idea of Alex being submissive aside from an undercover role is hard to picture – but he can't stop himself.

Alex spies his inability to breathe, and decides to have a little mercy on him. "It's okay, Bobby. I'd never think less of you if you have such thoughts. It'd be..." She allows her gaze to drop almost shyly, aiming to relax him. "...flattering to know that I've sparked a desire in you. I've never found you or your scent repulsive, so if you asked me nicely and did some courting, I'd probably be happy to let you do whatever you wanted to me, or even do whatever you wanted." God, yes, she thinks. If you're half as talented with your hands in private as I've seen on the job, I'd definitely be in for the night of my life...

Bobby doesn't know what to think. In words, at least. His brain creates several images in rapid succession, all of which he finds appealing despite himself, and all making him realize how much he needs to get up to his apartment. **Now**. His fingers nervously tap his binder rapidly as he forces his mouth to open. "E-Eames-"

"Bobby, it's okay to call me Alex," she gently reminds him. "Everyone else does. No one will look poorly on it. Partners usually call each other by their first names after working together for a few years, as we have. I call you by your name. Why won't you call me by mine?" Her voice adopts a slight pout, a joking way of prompting him to answer.

He clears his throat. "Please," he begs, "don't make me answer that." Because if I have to, then I have to face things I don't want to face... and if I don't face them, I can pretend they don't exist...

Not that he's any good at ignoring anything connected to his partner. Oh, she occupies much of his brain for much of any given day... and he thinks of her as "Alex," so he can't expect to escape at night...

Alex forces a gentle expression to remain on her face as possible explanations float through her mind, giving her a few mental images to consider. She finally sighs, "Okay, Bobby. I'll drop it, even if I think you actually want whatever you're thinking about to happen." No judgment seeps through; she wants him to know she's not angry with him.

Bobby can't believe that she's coming damn close to inviting him to... to take advantage of her. He swallows as he realizes how tempting that is... and is grateful that she's letting him off the hook.

'I could be wrong," she mutters. He's relieved, but that fades when she adds, off-hand, "Maybe you'd prefer to be dominated."

He freezes again. This time he can't meet her eyes. Especially when his imagination conjures a picture of Alex in a **tight** dominatrix outfit, her smiling face alight with power. Maybe she doesn't need such an outfit... Just some **very** flattering clothes – maybe in red – and that I'm-in-charge attitude she easily exudes... Oh, God, he thinks, I don't know which is more tempting... me controlling her, or her controlling me. And that scares me...

Alex takes in Bobby's reaction, and her eyes widen. Dear God... I think he **does** like that thought better... Maybe I'll add a little extra, before I let him leave... "It could be cathartic, Bobby. You keep yourself under such a tight reign all day. Relinquishing responsibility and control to someone you trust might be a huge release for you." Her eyes twinkle. "Of course, you'd also be signing away any right to hurt yourself..." She glares pointedly at the large bandage on his right hand, the outward sign of his demonstration that Johnny West couldn't have killed Rosa Dern, or any of the others.

Bobby flinches at that reminder. Oh, Alex hadn't been pleased with him cutting himself, but she hadn't said anything. Her glares said enough, but she's never hounded him over something he's done – except for going against Rankin without a vest, and even then it wasn't much. After all, Deakins and Carver had reamed him enough, she'd said.

Enough, Alex decides. "Well, think about it or forget about it," she gently states. "Whichever you want. I'll see you tomorrow morning when I come to pick you up." A little smile accompanies the words, telling him that everything would be okay.

Hesitation radiates from every orifice in his body, but Bobby pulls himself together. "Okay. Good night," he whispers as he opens the door. He hurries inside, not looking back at all. Struggling to not even think, he takes the stairs for a change. The exercise, he thinks, will push those thoughts out of his head.

Alex watches him until she can't see him. Then she restarts the SUV and drives off. A small part of her worries about whether she might have pushed him too far with that teasing and suggestiveness. The rest of her isn't worried. He'll either forget about it, or spend a lot of time having sexual thoughts about her.

Really, girl, either one works for you... Alex's imagination – at that moment occupying a part of her brain detached from driving – briefly ponders several different scenarios each for both situations she mentioned. She finds them appealing enough that she's probably going to indulge in a few fantasies before bedtime to ease away the tension of the day, and take the edge off the loneliness that she's been feeling lately...

Meanwhile, Bobby reaches his apartment, slams the door and locks it with more force than necessary. That exercise was anything but helpful... It's got him more worked up than before...

He hurriedly drops the binder on the kitchen counter top, and sheds the overcoat, throwing it on top. Somehow, it feels insanely hot despite the outside freezing temperature, and the jacket and tie feel... constricting... He fumbles in a hurried attempt to get them off, and it takes several tries...

What the hell came over Alex, screams Bobby's mind. Did that girl's idiocy and brashness rub off on Alex? I mean, I-I know she worked Vice and was married, but... she's so... The woman I know as my partner is straight-laced! She wouldn't... Especially not with someone like me...

But, says the dissenting voice that slides into his mind when he least expects it, she doesn't lie to you. Why would she make such an offer if she didn't mean it?

Um, stumbles his regular thoughts, because she... wanted to... take my mind... off the case for a bit? Because she thought I was too stressed over it?

The dissenting voice snorts, taking on a snarky tone worthy of Alex. Oh, come on, Bobby. You know she would've said other things if that was her goal. She was **really** offering herself up to yourself... The voice laughs, adding, we wouldn't be having this conversation if she was any other woman, now would we...?

The trailing off of that thought paralyzes him. Her eyes... She may be better at hiding her emotions at times than he is, but there isn't any way he can misinterpret the look in her eyes... It **was** an invitation...

A stream of fantasies float through his imagination, reeking havoc on his body and his control... Either one of them pushing the other against the door the moment it was locked... Him hauling her up onto the table or the counter top. Her pushing him down on the couch... Either of them backing the other into his bedroom... All these stemmed from the thought of asking her to come up, and convincing her to park the car for the night...

Bobby groans loudly, and darts for the bathroom. No way is he using any hot water for the next few days...

THE END


End file.
